It has always seemed to me that one hallmark of a great orchestra is its ability to make a persuasive case not only for the standards of the repertoire but for more obscure works as well. It’s one thing to present a polished performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (as the SLSO did last weekend); it’s quite another to deliver an equally exciting reading of the less popular Concerto No. 2 and then follow it up with a compelling Scriabin Symphony No. 2, a work the symphony hasn’t done in over forty years.

Although dwarfed in popularity by its predecessor, Tchaikovsky’s Second is a work with ample charms of its own, starting with a slam-bang opening movement featuring a grandly optimistic first theme, a charmingly contrasting second, and long virtuoso passages for the piano that verge on the excessive. On Friday night, the audience expressed their admiration for soloist Stephen Hough by breaking into spontaneous applause at the end of that movement. I suspect Tchaikovsky would have approved—you can’t generate that much excitement and then expect folks to sit on their hands.

Tchaikovsky also knew what he was about with the following Andante non troppo, which features a lyrical, quasi-operatic duet for violin and cello (beautifully rendered by David Halen and Daniel Lee). Maybe it’s just the romantic in me, but I can’t help but wonder whether the loving interaction of the two instruments wasn’t Tchaikovsky’s way of expressing his affection for his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck, with whom he shared a long, intensely Platonic, and almost entirely epistolary relationship. Perhaps that’s why he was particularly fond of the movement.

Ward Stare

The final Allegro con fuoco wrapped everything up with more virtuoso fireworks, resulting in a well-deserved standing ovation for both Mr. Hough and Resident Conductor Ward Stare.

Mr. Stare is clearly a rising star in the conducting firmament. I had the pleasure of sharing the Powell Hall stage with him for Peter and the Wolf back in 2008 and he struck me then as a precise, no-nonsense but nevertheless good-humored presence on the podium who communicated effectively without undue theatrics. I saw nothing Friday night that would cause me to revise that opinion anywhere but upwards. It’s a shame he’s only doing one subscription program next season, even if it is a fascinating one combining music by Vivaldi, Schubert, and Osvaldo Golijov.

Mr. Stare really took the spotlight in the second half of the program, turning in a tremendously persuasive performance of Alexander Scriabin’s sometimes discursive but always intriguing Symphony No. 2. The work dates from 1902, when Scriabin was still to some extent finding his own way as a composer, but the lush orchestration, restless harmonies, and orgiastic excess that characterize much of his orchestral music were already present. His eccentric personal philosophy and multi-media experiments such as the Poem of Fire (which included a “color organ” of his own design) were still in the future, but it’s easy to hear their genesis in the exotic hothouse atmosphere of this work.

Laid out in either four or five movements (depending on how you count them) the Second is somewhat reminiscent of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony, complete with elaborate bird calls from the flutes in the second movement, a violent thunderstorm in the third, and a blazing finale that brings back the sun in all its pantheistic glory. Scriabin’s countryside sounds considerably more exotic and erotic than Beethoven’s—this is the man who would write The Poem of Ecstasy a few years later, after all—but it’s hard not to hear some parallels.

Top-notch orchestras and conductors make the familiar seem new and the unfamiliar sound like something they’ve been doing all their lives. This weekend’s concerts clearly place both the St. Louis Symphony and Ward Stare in that category. It’s a pity that a larger crowd didn’t turn out to hear them. Work of this quality deserves a wider audience.

No doubt that wider audience will turn out for the final concerts of the season May 5 through 8, when David Robertson will conduct the orchestra and chorus in Orff’s ever-popular Carmina Burana, along with the world premiere of Christopher Rouse’s Symphony No. 3. For more information, you can call 314-534-1700, visit slso.org, or follow @slso on Twitter.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents The Adventures of Dan Daredevil at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium April 29 through May 8. Curtain is 8:00 PM Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 PM on Sundays. The O'Fallon Municipal Centre is located at 100 North Main Street in O'Fallon, MO. For more information, call 636-379-5606.

The Avalon Theatre Company presents the drama Agnes of God Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 2 PM, April 28 through May 8, in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court, 119 Crestwood Plaza. For more information, call 314-351-6482.

Clayton Community Theatre presents the comedy Barefoot in the Park Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 8 PM through May 1. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

Black Pearl Sings!

The Black Rep presents Black Pearl Sings! through May 5. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. The play stars St. Louis jazz and blues singer Denise Thimes. For more information, call 314-534-3810 or visit theblackrep.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Alice Kinsella and
Deborah Sharn

The Presenters Dolan present Alice Kinsella and KDHX's own Deborah Sharn in their cabaret show A Couple of White Chicks Sitting Around Singing Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, at 8 PM at The Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. Al Fischer is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Tim Schall. “Alice Kinsella and Deborah Sharn connect in a combustible mix of theatre, jazz and comedy in their new show. Deborah's sexy, slow-burn vocals meet up with Alice's brassy cabaret comedy in a night designed to please all the senses.” I have known Alice and Deborah personally and professionally for many years and suggested the title of this show to them, so you can bet I'll be there on opening night. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit presentersdolan.com.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the comedy murder mystery musical Curtains April 29 through May 7. Performances take place at the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956. The cast includes 88.1 KDHX theatre critic Laura Kyro.

The St. Louis University Theatre Department presents the comedy/drama Dead Man's Cell Phone April 29 through May 8. Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998.

Missy Robinson

Topper Productions presents Missy Robinson in her debut cabaret show Dream On at 7 PM on Sunday, May 1 at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. Joining Missy will be music director and pianist Don Kallembach, Dave Troncoso (bass) and Clancy Newell (drums). The show is directed by Christy Simmons. For more information, visit topperproductionsllc.com or call (314) 965-2526.

HotCity Theatre presents Intelligent Life, “a quirky comedy that deals seriously with issues of faith”, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 3 and 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM, April 29 through May 15. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-289-4060 or visit hotcitytheatre.org.

The NonProphet Theater Company presents Sketch Comedy Sundays, featuring The Militant Propaganda Bingo Machine, Sundays at 8 PM. Shows are May 1, May 29, June 26, and July 31 at Lemmons Restaurant, 5800 Gravois. For more information, visit npcto.org.

Black Cat Theatre's Piwacket Theatre for Children presents the Piwacket Puppet Jamboree Thursday, April 28, at 10:30 AM. Performances take place at Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. For more information, call (314) 781-8300.

Black Cat Theatre's Piwacket Theatre for Children presents The Spring Family Festival on Saturday, April 30, from 10 AM to 1 PM at Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. For more information, call (314) 781-8300.

The Stroke Scriptures

Washington University Performing Arts Department presents A.E. Hotchner Playwriting Competition Winner The Stroke Scriptures Fridays through Sundays, April 28 through May 1. Performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call (314) 935-5858.

Till We Have Faces

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Till We Have Faces, directed and adapted by Deanna Jent from the book by C.S. Lewis. Performances take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through May 1, at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.

Awake and Sing!

New Jewish Theatre presents Clifford Odets's Awake and Sing! April 20 through May 8. Performances take place at the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org.

Clayton Community Theatre presents the comedy Barefoot in the Park Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 8 PM, April 22 through May 1. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

The Black Rep presents Black Pearl Sings!, April 20 through May 5. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call 314-534-3810 or visit theblackrep.org.

Panther Productions presents the world premiere of Brother Lies, Sister Truth by St. Louisan Mark Pannebecker. Performances take place Wednesday through Sunday at 7 PM, April 20 through 24, at the Taylor Building, 1128 Washington Avenue, downtown. For more information, visit pantherproductionsstlouis.yolasite.com or call 314-762-0062 or 314-258-6251.

The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents the comedy The Government Inspector, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Nikolai Gogol, Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2 and 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, April 20 through 24. Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium in Webster Hall on the Webster University campus. The student-directed show is part of the Directing Capstone Projects series. For more information, call 314-968-7128.

Next to Normal

The Fox Theatre presents the rock musical Next to Normal April 12 through 24. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three 2009 Tony Awards, Next to Normal features music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, musical staging by Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Michael Greif. The Fox is at 527 North Grand. For more information, call 314-534-1111 or visit fabulousfox.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Till We Have Faces, directed and adapted by Deanna Jent from the book by C.S. Lewis. Performances take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through May 1, at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

I’m not big on standing ovations as a rule, but this Friday found me on my feet at the end of both halves of the program – first for a lively Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 with volcanic pianism from Yefim Bronfman and then for a powerful Shostakovich Symphony No. 10.

The Tchaikovsky is, of course, an enduring chestnut that always gets a warm response. The lively melodies (some appropriated from Ukrainian folk sources) and flashy piano part never fail to appeal. What distinguished this performance for me, though, was the way in which conductor David Robertson and pianist Yefim Bronfman brought out the dance elements that, while clearly present, are not always recognized in the concert hall. The famous first theme, in particular, sounded more like a waltz than usual. The strong rhythmic pulse carried right through the lilting second movement and into the third, winding up with a spectacular finale that was emphatically “con fuoco”.

Dimitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, by contrast, isn’t easy to love. An often somber and deeply felt reflection on grim oppression of the Stalin years, the 10th is, even by Shostakovich standards, a work of extremes. Moments of crystalline delicacy alternate with vast outpourings of orchestral sound. Deceptively simple-sounding melodic material is spun out in increasingly complex ways, especially during the long and sometimes harrowing first movement. It’s a piece that demands and deserves the kind of intense concentration that audiences are not, sadly, always ready to grant in our current era of mass distraction.

Mr. Robertson and the orchestra were more than up to the challenges of this highly personal testament to the endurance of the human spirit. Although scored for a large orchestra, the 10th is nevertheless filled with long solo and small ensemble passages. The winds, in particular (especially the double reed contingent), are given many opportunities to shine, and on Friday night they unquestionably did. This is a symphony that requires the musicians to be not only skilled ensemble players but solid soloists as well. The members of the SLSO clearly meet both requirements with ease.

A great performance always makes me want to go back and listen to the work again. It’s a testimony to the quality of Friday’s reading of the 10th that I went back the next day to listen to my CD of the Leonard Slatkin/SLSO performance from 1987. The band sounded pretty terrific back then as well.

Next up on the symphony schedule are a pair of lesser-known works by well-known composers: Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto and Scriabin’s Second Symphony April 28 and 29, 2011. Ward Stare will conduct with Stephen Hough at the piano. For more information, you can call 314-534-1700, visit slso.org, or follow @slso on Twitter.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What: Next to Normal
Where: The Fox Theatre
When: April 12 through 24, 2010

In musical theatre’s house are many mansions, from the blood-soaked barbershop of Sweeney Todd to the exotic palace of The King and I, so it should come as no surprise that there’s room for the conventional suburban home of a family struggling with bipolar disorder in Next to Normal. What is unexpected is how intelligently Brian Yorkey’s book and lyrics and Tom Kitt’s music turn potentially sordid material into compelling dramatic comedy.

The basic premise of Next to Normal seems more suited to a cable movie of the week than a Pulitzer Prize and Tony winner. Suburban mother Diana Goodman is coping poorly with a sixteen-year run of manic depression. The pills aren’t working and she’s delusional. Long-suffering husband Dan and teenage daughter Natalie are much the worse for wear and the crumbling family structure threatens Natalie’s budding romance with classmate Henry. When Dan enlists the aid of “rock star” psychiatrist Dr. Madden and Diana is compelled to confront her troubled relationship with her son Gabe, forces are unleashed that threaten to tear the family apart.

As producer David Stone notes, “to write a musical with this subject matter was terrifying, if not insane.” And yet, through four years of endless rewrites and workshops, what once seemed madness became instead a riveting rock musical about madness and the seductive pull it can exert on the human mind. Even more amazing, the resulting show is often funny and, in its final moments, uplifting in a clear-eyed and unsentimental way.

The cast of this tour of Next to Normal is next to brilliant. Asa Somers is a warm and solid presence as the faithful Dan. As he sings in the opening number “Just Another Day”, he’s “living on a latte and a prayer”. Mr. Somers’ performance of the well-drawn character Mr. Yorkey has given him won me over at once.

Emma Hunton and Preston Sadlier are utterly credible as Natalie and Henry, trying to find love among the ruins of the Goodman family. Their story is, ultimately, the most hopeful. You really want these kids to make it work.

Jeremy Kushnier brings depth and warmth to the role of Dr. Madden, and provides contrasting dark comedy as the coldly clinical psychopharmacologist Dr. Fine (not, for you Three Stooges fans, Dr. Howard). Curt Hansen is a dynamic Gabe – almost too much so at times, occasionally drawing focus away from the protagonists at what seemed to me to be inappropriate moments. Still, it’s bravura stuff and presumably what director Michael Grief wanted.

Alice Ripley reprises her Broadway role as Diana. On opening night she was a dynamic and deeply troubled force of nature – at least until part way through the dramatic second act, when it became apparent that her voice was failing. From that point on, her vocal coping mechanisms upstaged what had been a strong performance. The role of Diana demands much of a singing actor. Ms. Ripley might want to consider giving her understudy a shot at it while she gives herself some much-deserved vocal rest.

Next to Normal plays out on Mark Wendland’s smart three-level set of black and chrome metal with translucent panels that show us the upper floors of the house, alternating with the heroine’s haunted eyes. Multiple stairs enable the actors to move rapidly between levels, making scene shifts lightning quick.

The small, amplified band is on stage on the second and third levels of the set, stage left and right. The combination of instrumental placement and first-rate sound engineering make this one of the most intelligible musicals to play the Fox in some time. It’s a joy to watch a show that you don’t know well and not feel that you’ve missed half of the lyrics.

I won’t say Next to Normal is perfect. Ms. Ripley’s vocal issues aside, I found that while the show demanded (and got) my undivided attention, there was never a time when I felt truly moved. We’ve all felt that “lump in the throat” moment when great musical theatre grabs us. I didn’t feel that here. And yet I came away from the theatre filled with admiration for everyone responsible for this remarkable work.

If you love the transformative power of musical theatre, you really must see Next to Normal. Performances continue through April 24th at the Fox in Grand Center. For more information, you may visit fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1111.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.

The Ivory Theatre presents A.D.: The Musical Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 and 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM through April 17. For more information, call 314-631-8330 or visit ivorytheatre.com.

The Edison Theatre at Washington University presents the performance art group Universes in their newest work Ameriville Unplugged, described as “a passionate, multimedia, 'State of the Union Address' fusing poetry, jazz, hip-hop, down home blues and Spanish boleros.” Performances take place on Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, April 15 and 16, at Edison Theater on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543.

The Presenters Dolan present Ralph Kalish as Branch Rickey, a one-act play directed by Milton Zoth Thursday through Saturday, April 14 through 16, at 8 PM at The Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit presentersdolan.com.

Kay Love

The Presenters Dolan present Kay Love in her cabaret show Confessions of a Pom Pom Reject Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, at 8 PM at The Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. Steven Ray Watkins is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by former St. Louisan Lennie Watts, who is also appearing as Kay's backup singer. I've known Kay for more years than either of us probably want to calculate and have always admired her work. You can bet I'll be there. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit presentersdolan.com.

Cooking With Marge

Marble Stage Theatre presents Linda Spall's one-woman comedy Cooking With Marge Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, April 15 through 17 at Marble Stage Theater, 426 Crestwood Mall Art Space. “Marge can't cook. She can't even open a can of soup but you'll laugh your bundt off as she teaches her zany cooking class.” For more information, call 314-732-4003 or visit www.marblestage.org.

Upstream Theater presents The Death Of Atahualpa, directed and adapted by Philip Boehm from the traditional oral drama of the conquest of the Incas by Pizarro. Members of local Latin band Son de America will accompany the hour-long show, playing traditional Andean music. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays through April 17, at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand. All performances at 8 PM except Sundays: April 3 and 10 at 7 PM and April 17 at 3 PM. For more information, call (314) 863-4999 or visit www.upstreamtheater.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review.

Black Cat Theatre presents Jordan Herskowitz in his autobiographical one-man play Growing Up Jordy Pordy, about two brothers born with cystic fibrosis and the historic double-lung transplant of the younger sibling. The performance takes place on Saturday, April 16, at 8 PM at the Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood, MO. For more information, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158226

Lost in Yonkers

The Hawthorne Players present Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sunday [April 17 only] at 2 PM through April 17. Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.com.

Next to Normal

The Fox Theatre presents the rock musical Next to Normal April 12 through 24. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three 2009 Tony Awards, Next to Normal features music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, musical staging by Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Michael Greif. This is the first St. Louis appearance of a show that comes with substantial advance buzz; it will be interesting to see if it meets expectations. My review for 88.1 KDHX will be on the station web site and on the air later in the week. The Fox is at 527 North Grand. For more information, call 314-534-1111 or visit fabulousfox.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review.

The Brass Rail Players present the comedy Over The River And Through The Woods. Performances take place through April 17 at the Lindenwood University Premier Center For The Arts In Belleville, Il. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM through April 17, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, call 618 939 7469.

Soundstage Productions presents Soundstage Radio Hour 2011 Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM through April 17. Performances take place at Crestwood Plaza ArtSpace, #220 Crestwood Plaza on Watson Road in Crestwood, MO. For more information, send email to soundstange at msn.com.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Till We Have Faces, directed and adapted by Deanna Jent from the book by C.S. Lewis. Performances take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, April 15 through May 1, at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

The ranting of wealthy and powerful fundamentalists and their political and media enablers aside, there’s no getting around the fact that the central message of Christianity is one of mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and love. This weekend’s St. Louis Symphony concerts offered a pair of powerful musical reminders of that message. The fact that one came from the pen of an Austrian Jew who converted to Catholicism out of professional expediency and the other from a gay American man is probably another illustration of how outsiders often see the truth more clearly than members of the tribe.

The big draw for these concerts, of course, was the Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) by Gustav Mahler. For me, however, the most compelling moments came from Samuel Barber’s rarely heardPrayers of Kierkegaard from 1954. A setting for large orchestra, chorus, and multiple soloists (soprano, alto, and tenor) of four of the many original prayers by Christian existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813 – 1855), Prayers pays homage to both Gregorian monophony and Baroque polyphony while remaining true to Barber’s late-Romantic musical language. It’s a fascinating and complex piece that makes a convincing case for Kierkegaard’s emphasis on the primacy of each individual’s experience of Divine love, without the clutter of organized religion.

Under the baton of David Robertson, the orchestra and chorus delivered a rock-solid performance. The choral writing sounded complex and tricky, which made the clarity and enunciation with which it was sung that much more impressive. The soloists – soprano Christine Brewer, alto Debby Lennon, and tenor Keith Boyer – all did fine work, although Ms. Brewer seemed a bit uncomfortable in her lower register.

This is only the second time the symphony has undertaken this remarkable work and the first time under Mr. Robertson’s direction. I hope he felt as much satisfaction conducting this performance as I did hearing it.

The Mahler was, I’m sorry to say, somewhat less satisfying. The “Resurrection” Symphony has long been a favorite of mine, going back to my first encounter with the classic Otto Klemperer recording from early 1960s. A kind of Mahler multivitamin, the “Resurrection” contains all the key elements of the Viennese master’s work: moments of chamber-music delicacy alternating with massive orchestral outbursts, vulgar marches, lilting Ländler, a darkly comic scherzo, and passages of sublime beauty, and an ecstatic choral finale of overwhelming power. And yet, in the musical equivalent of alchemy, Mahler's sense of architecture somehow transmutes it all in to a single, unified work that brilliantly encompasses the themes of death, rebirth, and transcendence.

Personally, I missed the transcendence. As was his wont that last time he conducted this work (in 2007), Mr. Robertson favored a loving emphasis on orchestral details coupled with tempi that were somewhere between slow and plodding. Individual moments (especially in the second movement) took on a crystalline clarity as a result, but so did the joins in Mahler’s somewhat episodic musical architecture. The work came to a complete standstill far too often for me, I’m afraid, despite first-rate work from all the performers.

Christine Brewer, looking and sounding revived and re-energized, once again served as soprano soloist, backed up by mezzo Kelley O’Connor – utterly compelling in the “Urlicht” (“Primal Light”) setting that begins the symphony’s fourth movement. Amy Kaiser’s Symphony Chorus sounded splendid once again.

In brief remarks before the symphony began, Ms. Kaiser noted that this weekend’s performances were dedicated to the late Richard Ashburner, long a member and supporter of the chorus. Their work was a fitting tribute to their former colleague.

A great Mahler 2nd – such as the one Leonard Slatkin did with the SLSO back in 1982 (happily still available on CD) – never fails to move me to tears in those final glorious moments of spiritual rebirth. This one left me impressed with the virtuosity of the players and clarity of Mr. Robertson’s artistic vision, but it left me dry-eyed as well.

Next up on the symphony schedule: Maestro Robertson conducts Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 and Tchaikovsky’s ever popular Piano Concerto No. 1, with Yefim Bronfman at the keyboard April 15 through 17. For more information, you may call 314-534-1700, visit slso.org, or follow @slso on Twitter.

Sunday, April 03, 2011

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.

Acts of Love

The West End Players Guild concludes their 100th season with the St. Louis premiere of Kathryn Chetkovich's comedy Acts of Love Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM through April 10. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org. I'm on the board of directors at West End and did the sound design for this show. Based on what I have seen in rehearsals, it's going to be a very funny and honest show about just how confusing "acts of love" can become.

The Ivory Theatre presents A.D.: The Musical Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 and 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM, April 7 through 17. For more information, call 314-631-8330 or visit ivorytheatre.com.

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite past time. Performances take place Saturdays through April 9 at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185 or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis

Upstream Theater presents The Death Of Atahualpa, directed and adapted by Philip Boehm from the traditional oral drama of the conquest of the Incas by Pizarro. Members of local Latin band Son de America will accompany the hour-long show, playing traditional Andean music. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays through April 17, at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand. All performances at 8 PM except Sundays: April 3 and 10 at 7 PM and April 17 at 3 PM. For more information, call (314) 863-4999 or visit www.upstreamtheater.org.

Eclipsed

Washington University Performing Arts Department presents Eclipsed, a “sharp-edged, humanizing and surprisingly funny” drama about the Liberian civil war by actress and playwright Danai Gurira Fridays through Sundays through April 10. Performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call (314) 935-5858.

Everydaycircus Inc. performs shows hourly from 11 AM to 4 PM each weekend at City Museum, 701 N. 15th St. Shows are FREE with regular museum admission. (645-4445 or 231-CITY).

Harold Allen as Javert

Dramatic License Productions presents Harold Allen: Different Stages Thursday and Friday at 8 PM, April 7 and 8. “Backed by piano, drums and guitar, Harold takes us on a musical journey from his shy, small-town roots to national tours and leading theatrical roles.“ For more information, call 636-220-7012 or visit dramaticlicenseproductions.com.

The Fox Theatre presents Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance on Tuesday, April 5, at 8 PM. The Fox is at 527 North Grand. For more information, call 314-534-1111 or visit fabulousfox.com.

Lost in Yonkers

The Hawthorne Players present Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sunday [April 17 only] at 2 PM, April 8 through 17. Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.com.

The St. Louis University Theatre Department presents OTMA April 8 through 10. “Following the Russian revolution of 1917 the Romanov Tsar, his wife, and five children were executed by firing squad. The four daughters Olga (O), Tatiana(T), Marie(M), and Anastasia(A), are the subject of OTMA. It dramatizes their final days under house arrest, possibly performing scenes from Anton Chekov's The Cherry Orchard to pass the seemingly endless days.” Performances take place in black box studio theatre in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.

The Brass Rail Players present the comedy Over The River And Through The Woods. Performances take place April 7 through 17 at the Lindenwood University Premier Center For The Arts In Belleville, Il. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM, April 8 through 17, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, call 618 939 7469.

The Real McCoy

The Black Rep presents Andrew Moodie's The Real McCoy through April 10. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Soundstage Productions presents Soundstage Radio Hour 2011 Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM, April 8 through 17. Performances take place at Crestwood Plaza ArtSpace, #220 Crestwood Plaza on Watson Road in Crestwood, MO. For more information, send email to soundstange at msn.com.

Over Due Theatre Company presents the musical Sweet Charity Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through April 10. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the one-act plays They Throw Rocks and Zaybah, Coffee, and Me by Shahnaz Ahmed on Monday, April 4, at 6:30 pm. Shahnaz Ahmed was born in India, did her high school in Dubai, UAE and has been living in the US since she was 16. The performance takes place at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney. For more information, you may call 314-865-1296 or visit www.stlwritersgroup.com.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical You're a Good Man Charlie Brown Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through April 9. There will be a matinee on the closing Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Crestwood/Kirkwood Youth Theatre presents the musical You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown Thursday through Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, April 7 through 10. Performances take place at the Robert G. Reim Theater in Kirkwood Community Center. Call 314-822-5855 for more information.

Were it not for the huge movie screen suspended above the Powell Hall stage this weekend, you might be forgiven for thinking that the large orchestra, augmented percussion battery, and chorus were going perform the first work in the Ring cycle – and in a way, you’d be right.

The evening did, after all, present the first of a series of dramatic works revolving around a cursed magic ring that brings doom to those who try to use its power. The story unfolds in a mythical world filled with dwarves, dragons, and monsters. It’s a tale of magic, betrayal, honor, and redemption through sacrifice that begins with the rise of dark powers and ends with the passing of the world of magic and the coming of the world of men.

Superficial similarities aside, however, this wasn’t the opera Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold but rather the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. And while Howard Shore’s ambitious and striking score may not be in the same class as Wagner’s, it does use the same narrative approach, with specific musical motifs identifying key characters and dramatic concepts. In some respects, in fact, Shore may have the advantage, since his musical toolbox has a number of items – including microtones, Middle Eastern and Celtic influences, and aleatoric/improvisational techniques – that were not available to the German master. And which he probably would have rejected as Teutonically Incorrect in any case.

I won’t bore you by repeating what everyone else has already said about Peter Jackson’s beautiful and compelling adaptation of Tolkien’s novel. By now you’ve already made up your mind about it, and in any case, the real story here is not so much the movie as the added depth and power it derives when accompanied by a live performance of the score. I don’t care how good your surround sound system is, there’s simply no substitute for real musicians in a real hall.

Yes, soprano soloist Ann De Renais uses a wireless microphone, as do boy sopranos Blaine Clark and Graham Markowitz, but otherwise this was Howard Shore unplugged. Under the baton of guest conductor Erik Ochsner – who seems to have carved out a nice niche for himself in that gray area between traditional concert music and film scores – the symphony sounded like the finely tuned instrument it has become over the years. Even the more rhythmically tricky and aggressively “modern” parts of the score – the whole Durin/Moria sequence, for example – sounded flawless.

Mr. Ochsner seemed very engaged with and friendly towards the musicians under his baton – not an easy task given the need to divide his attention between the printed score and the film (complete with the visual equivalent of a click track) playing out on a monitor mounted on the podium.

Like Mr. Ochsner, Ms. De Renais has made LOTR concerts a regular part of her career, but her resume also includes substantial operatic and concert appearances. Perhaps that’s why she was clearly emotionally engaged during her solo passages rather than simply acting as just another pretty voice. Given that everyone was riveted to the screen, she could probably have gotten away with the latter, but a real professional doesn’t just coast – and she didn’t.

A round of applause is due, as well, to Chorus director Amy Kaiser and Children’s Choir artistic director Barbara Berner. Shore asks his singers to do a number of things not ordinarily required on the concert stage (such as singing in Elvish and rhythmically grunting and chanting in Dwarfish), so it’s to their credit that it all sounded so polished. A tip of the topper is due, as well, to the encyclopedic program notes from author Doug Adams, whose Music of Lord of the Rings blog appears to be the final word on the subject.

It would, I think, be easy to dismiss mass market events like the Lord of the Rings concerts as the musical equivalent of the slightly stale popcorn sold at the Powell Hall bar, but that would require one to overlook the sheer magnitude of the task involved and the amount of dedication and talent it takes to pull it off. We are, after all, talking about roughly three and one-half hours of music here – most of it unfamiliar and some of it rather challenging. Everyone concerned deserves hearty congratulations.

And besides, how often do you see Powell Hall this packed? Yes, it meant that getting to the restroom at intermission was pretty much impossible and some folks who brought their drinks into the hall apparently didn’t understand that leaving empty cups on the floor is lousy etiquette, but if it awakens a few more people to the glory of live music in a classic concert hall then it’s worthwhile in my book.

Next up on the symphony schedule: Mahler’s powerful Symphony No. 2 sharing the bill with Samuel Barber’s rarely heard Prayers of Kierkegaard. Kelley O’Connor and our own Christine Brewer are soloists with the orchestra and chorus conducted by Maestro Robertson. For more information, you may call 314-534-1700, visit stlsymphony.org, or follow @slso and/or use the #slso hashtag on Twitter.

Enter, Stage Left

Aside from the distinction of being St. Louis’s least-known veteran broadcaster (over three decades and counting), Chuck has been active in theater in St. Louis, Houston, and Terre Haute since the late 1960s. He's been mostly an actor and sound designer, with the occasional foray into directing and (recently) cabaret performance. Chuck has also been writing theater and classical music criticism for nearly as long, and is currently the senior performing arts critic at KDHX-FM, and the producer of the KDHX Arts Calendar. Chuck is a member of the St. Louis Theater Circle and the Music Critics Association of North America, as well as the local correspondent for Cabaret Scenes magazine and a performing arts blogger for OnSTL.com